Final Evaluation

We have finally reached the end of our long journey through East End Tales and I was pleasantly surprised of how well it went. We were assessed on how well we could present Fin Kennedy's script using our theatrical and physical skills along with our storytelling ability. It was very physical and most of us were on the stage at all times weather we were acting or onlooking, in character, using very minimal props: pink stools and a couple of umbrellas.

We worked a lot on the script, using small sections of it to fuel an improvised scene where a few lines could make completely different characters than the ones in the play but still make sense. Alabama and I once used a paragraph originally spoken between a cabbie and passenger and twisted it into a interrogation of sorts where the cabbie circled his passenger looking very menacing and the passenger being rather timid but secretly rolling eyes when the cabbies back was turned. Improvisation gave us a lot more input into the play in general as we were able to use our own understandings of the themes effectively rather than being told what to do.

As a company I think we worked very well because we knew the script back to front and were able to save one another if we messed up on a line and we were able to enjoy ourselves more I think because we were free of scripts for the most part so we could play around with it more, some things that worked especially well in my point of view were the first few scenes with the lights as the audience was almost told who and what to focus on with the lights turning on and off and the way that we moved, somewhat emphasising certain parts of the stage and fewer actors. I think this was the best way to portray it and any more or less light would not have been as effective.

Also any tale where we each had a few words each had such a lovely sense of rhythm and a great pace in comparison to the ones where we had paragraphs each. the contrast really showed how the East End can be snappy and fast but also focused on some more intense details at times.

I was a bit upset that we did not have the faces up on our phones in tale 5 because I think if we had perfected that then it could have been really nice and effective but I guess people just weren't ready in time which is a shame, but I did however how we used the stools for so many different things like a door frame, chairs both in a home and in a cafe. I also loved the texture of all the sounds because there were the lines but then there was the TV and radio which kept building up more and more only to be cut off so abruptly much like the victims life. Having Taffy carried across the room showing the audience directly what happened, not just letting them assume anything, was quite nice because it was so direct and blunt because these things do happen and it was like ripping the bandage off quickly rather than carefully.

There were some things to improve on, of course, we all could have been even snappier, cutting each other even faster in the quick tales to make it just that much more effective, and as personal criticism, I really should have spoken louder because it was probably too quiet for the whole room to hear, and so could a few in scenes with music or other things that they would need to speak over. I also think that the movements were a bit too restricted, this was probably because the room itself was rather packed as it was but even so, some things could have been exaggerated even more.

Throughout the term I loved improving my physicality because I never really used to enjoy it as much as scripted work and quite frankly, I thought of it as rather boring, but I think knowing the processes that actors go through to get to the end product and doing that myself makes me appreciate the style a lot more. I did find it difficult to characterise for most of the tales because of the fact that we only had a few words each, but I did find myself becoming aware of other peoples decisions and allowing that to help me shape my own to make sense in the situation. Next term, I would really like to have more of a say in what happens in the play because whenever I have an idea, I find it hard to say it because I don't believe that it is good enough and this may be because we were put into rather large groups, so maybe if we are put into smaller ones, I may allow myself to speak out and say my ideas, even if they are not used in the end.

Overall, I have really enjoyed this term as it has opened the gates of physical theatre for me and I have learned how to handle a different type of script than the likes of which I am used to, and next term I would definitely want to work on my projection and diction so that I can be heard by all.

Thursday, 29th January 2015, Rehearsal Sheet

Targets:

Reflection:

I think I have worked at a distinction level because...:

Thursday, 22nd January 2015, Rehearsal Sheet

Targets:

Reflection:

I think I have worked at a merit because...:

Thursday, 15th January 2015

Today we finished blocking Tale 5 and working more on our grouped scenes (Tale 7 for me).

In Tale 7, we took out the mess of walking around the shop, and as I am playing the 'lady from the community centre', we have decided to light me and Connor up to bring the focus on us as we are spoken about. This will hopefully help keep the audience interested because of the change of lighting and the movement.

In Tale 5, we finish the scene by having Taffy lifted up and off the stage as if she were dead and in a coffin. This is quite beautiful because it just shows the reality of the fact that she has died and gives it a very literal feel to it. The narrator is probably feeling something along the lines of guilt because they did not do or say anything to help her situation while she was alive that could have kept her that way. 

Rehersal Sheet: 

Targets:

Reflection:

I think I have worked at a merit level because...:

Thursday, 8th January 2015

In Tale 1, I know my lines and cues, but I think we can all work on how fast to come in and say our lines to make it more snippy and quick, more interrupting each other rather than waiting for them to finish speaking.

We are trying to add some accents, so I'd like to play around with those a bit, also with my pitch a bit so that I am not coming out as a monotone. Also, adding some character, like laughing a bit when saying 'wouldn't they all?', or saying 'can stick up for himself' like I was idolising him, thinking it was cool. Also, finding other things to do while on the phone, scrolling through Twitter or Facebook or calling someone while twirling a strand of my hair.

I liked having creative ownership of tale 7 as we got show what we thought of the scene and how we worked as a group, trying to come up with something that we all think is adequate.

So far we have blocked up until 'The prices are all up front mate, I say. YOU picked them up.'. We have chosen to have Benji start the scene behind the counter while the rest of us imitate being his brother, stacking shelves, trying to make the time go by. 

After this, we start shopping, looking for the items that we may need for the evening. However, I think this will probably look a bit messy to an audience as we really just look like we are loitering. Plus, it's late and there wouldn't be that many people in the shop. Maybe if we all do the same thing, just to form it a bit, giving it more shape so that we can continue blocking the scene.

Rehearsal Sheet:

Targets:

Reflections: 

I think I worked at a merit level because...:

Thursday, 18h December 2014

My characters:

Prologue: I wouldn't say that I personally have a character, I am a headlight on a taxi, but I feel as if my driver is very protective of his cab although he does not know all the technical terms for the parts 'D'ya mind takin yer hand off the, off the thingy.' I feel as if he would feel safe but exposed at the same time while in there as he knows every inch of the car better than anyone else, but at the same time, because anyone can simply hail him and especially in the area that he lives in, may even be rude.

Tale 1: Although I am a part of an ensemble, I feel like we are all playing the stereotypical girl of the East End, as we learned from Jake and Matteo at the beginning, can be catty, btichy and fake. I think this is exactly what we are all doing. Creating up this perfect guy in our heads, not just because he'd be a nice person, but because he's 'fit' and we know that every other girl wants him but can't have him because he's ours. However, if a person like this were to come into our lives, I think we would definitely be in it for the long run as we say things like 'which is a start' meaning we are planning to work on him until he truly becomes our perfect man.

Tale 3: We are all pub going alcoholics who have seen what Jack has done, silently judging him for his actions, sitting in our semicircle, staring at him, never confronting him but always reminding him of his mistakes, egging his inner demons on.

Tale 4: It is a bit unclear, to me, what exactly my character is in this tale because as we all may be the inner thoughts of this teenager, we are also isles and counters and onlookers while they are interacting, from sitting on the road, to sitting on the sides, observing the loneliness.

Tale 5: We are all the same character again, apart from Aaron and Susannah who are our parents. We are all a teenager who probably thinks unhealthy relationships ranging from domestic violence, to one where one gets screamed at for trying to do the right thing, are normal. We can sense the tension but try to ignore it best we can, because that is what we have been taught. We know more than we can comprehend, we know what is happening, we just choose to try to lighten the mood by adding humour to what we are saying. We know what is right, like our mother, but also like her, we are too afraid to do anything until we are confronted with her personally.

Tale 7: I think my character is quite passive aggressive, not wanting to take any more racial abuse from others. But never do anything so big that it would attract attention to myself. My character is clearly angry, probably feeling outnumbered by my father not letting me work in the shop anymore because I stood up for my self. There is a clear amount of anger that I can not let out because it may endanger myself and others, and this small outburst being pushed away is not letting me vent in a healthy way.

Line Objectives:

'Yesterday's stories that the rain might wash away.' - making the comment of how frail she is, maybe because I wants to take care of her because I never got the chance with my own grandmother or simply because my character is very empathetic and wants to help.

'But then a plate breaks ... Against the dividing wall between our house and theirs.' - maybe unintentionally adding to the awkwardness of the situation by fumbling around with their words, adding to the tension just by trying to explain what is happening.

 'That's seven forty-one please.' - the feeling of triumph over the racist bulldog man, being together as a family. Having the feeling that they could do anything in that moment if they set their minds to it.

Thursday, 11th December 2014

The word ensemble to me, is a group of people, or actor in our case, coming together to create something that may usually be done by one person, but expanding it so that everyone is together and somehow joined by the nature of the piece. By getting more than one person to do the same action or saying the same line can give it more importance, making whoever is watching think why the actors have chosen that, of all things, to be more important than the others. 

So far, I have enjoyed tale one the best because even though we have not perfected the timing and we could work on vocalising our characters a bit more, I like the simplicity of it. No one ever having more than 5 words to themselves, I can see it being very fast and snappy. That can show the fast pace that our brains work at nowadays, being teenagers that are rules by our phones and social media. We find out the hometown of a teenage girl would be if it was a person, who she would clearly idolise as the perfect man for her, 'even the traffic stops for him when he crosses the road'. 

Tale 3:

We have staged tale 3 very sparsely as we are all standing about in a pub, utilising the whole space. The boys start the scene from their previous one, moving the stools. The girls then enter, taking a place around the boys or on their own. We then start to drink a pint of beer in a very over exaggerated manor, starting and stopping at the same time, with 'London's Calling' helping us keep in time. After the first few lines, we become plumbers or electricians, or someone of that trade, explaining what the problem is to a customer. We then form a semi-circle around a bar of chairs. While saying lines, we quickly whip our heads round to focus on the person speaking. We then bring out a sheet under which is Matteo's victim whom he accidentally murdered, who is Roseby. 

I play a loud pub goer and a plumber. As the pub goer, I loudly talk with my friends while ordering a pint to drink. And as the plumber, I try to use my limited knowledge of pipes to explain to an audience member that it will cost a lot to fix because the leak also blew their lights.

The atmosphere begins somewhat happily, everyone in the pub, then telling Jack's story. Later taking a turn for the worse as we realise that Jack's life is not something to be making a joke out of. That he did actually kill someone and doesn't really like to talk about it. Our heads snapping to look at each person shows the tension, but then contrasts with the sad tone the person is using while telling the story of a murder. 

This is very different from tale 1 and 2 as in both of those we weren't talking about such morbid topics, we were mainly just messing about and joking, as characters, just imagining what the East End may be, but because that is the last one of those sorts, I imagine three friends telling each other how they would picture their home as a person, then when it comes round to the third, they start of all happy, but as they start to think about it. It would be nothing like that, the East End would be full of regrets and it would bring down the whole energy of the game the friends are playing. Also, we have done more moving in this scene as apposed to the other two.

Tale 4:

So far, we have incorporated some more props other than the stools. Those who brought them, used umbrellas. This piece does not focus on the ensemble side as much as the others, as there are parts where we all join in the middle to make a road. However, it does seem to centre around two actors more than the rest. 

I wouldn't really say that I have my own individual character, more that I am saying something that the main character is thinking. They seem to be a teenager, who wants to do good, but may not always to quite that, maybe because of peer pressure, or pressure from home. Either way they get it from somewhere that they should be all 'hard', but don't necessarily want to be that way. 

Further Questions:

I feel like I have worked on my physical theatre skills and have become more comfortable with doing such things. However, I think I am a bit too much of a perfectionist because I will always think how something will look as if I am performing it at the time rather than trial and error.

I think the lines that sum up the tales are:

Prologue: 'Stompin ground' 

Tale 1: 'Cos it's in the past now'

Tale 2: 'And her pillow is wet when she wakes'

Tale 3: 'Cos under it all, he's a lost little boy'

Tale 4: 'Being lonely'